Barbie and Sindy in the 80s

[mnahmnah]

Hi

I’ve been reminiscing with a friend about our favourite Christmas presents as children in the 80s. We both loved Sindy and Barbie and both got the three-storey townhouse one year for Christmas and a swimming pool. But we remember the swimming pools differently. Hers was the one that shows up on Google images now, whereas I can’t find any trace of mine. I’ve checked with my mum and she confirms I remember it correctly.

Did any of you have the same one I wonder - it was free form style, with a graduated Rocky/grassy edge to it and a plateau for a sun lounger. I can’t remember if it was Barbie or Sindy.

Also, did any of you have a pink and purple Barbie nightclub, with a revolving dance floor and a disk shaped backdrop with flashy lights? Another I distinctly remember, but doesn’t show up anywhere on Google!

Pippa:

*Produced by British toymaker Palitoy between 1972 and 1980, Pippa was much shorter than normal fashion dolls at only 6.5 inches (16.5cm) tall, which meant production costs were low.

Employing subtle variations, Palitoy produced over 30 different ‘Pippa and Friends’ variants by using only three head moulds and different hairstyles. They also produced numerous fashions for the dolls, along with an apartment, a pony, a car, and even her own hair salon.

Pippa’s first three friends launched in 1972 were Marie, Tammie and Britt. To reflect Britain’s increasingly diverse ethnic population Pippa later had an Asian friend named Jasmine and a black friend named Mandy.

More friends like Gail, Emma, Rosemary and Penny and a boyfriend Pete were also added to the line.

Although originally marketed as “the pocket money fashion doll”, Pippa dolls have sold for as much as £1,400 in recent years.*

@DobbyTheHouseElk

Pippa was smaller and younger looking than Sindy. Mine was slightly darker skinned. She was horsey, but didn’t really fit on Sindys horse. She may have had her own size horse, but not at our house.

Pippa had a pony - she was probably too small to manage a horse

I had Day to Night Barbie, whoch was so so 80s. I have just read that it was bought back as a reproduction. "Day to Night Barbie celebrates the women's workplace revolution of the 1980s with the ultimate wardrobe transformation!"

She was dressed in a power suit/air hostess outfit, avec boater, then you turned her clothes inside out, swapped her court shoes for strappy sandals and ta-daa, she was ready to go out dancing

I do remember Blue Peter making a barbie/ sandy house. It involved cutting up Ski yoghurt pots for seats.

Sorry sindy

www.amazon.co.uk/Barbie-FJH73-Day-Night-Doll/dp/B0753K93TG?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Behold the 80s clothes

My sister had this horse. It's recently been dug out for my daughter who was playing with it today, leg warmers and all!!

Wasn't this one?
It's a Sindy pool ( not Barbie)

I LOVED my Sindy swimming pool! Although, really, it wasn't anywhere near big enough for her to swim in, it was more like a posh bath. But it had jets to bubble the water and an underwater light!

Yes @missflissbyou genius! Amazing! So it was Sindy after all!

It was a bumper Christmas that year - I was 7. House, dance cafe, swimming pool. But I spent the day sulking because I didn’t get glow in the dark Barbie! My Grandma had got it, but I wasn’t given it until Boxing Day so I didn’t know. My parents just have despaired, what with everything else I got!

@missfliss

How did you find it? What’s the name of it?

Ooh - this takes me back. I had a ballerina Sindy with poseable ankles and feet. And leg warmers. The Sindy house on Blue Peter had an Ottoman storage bed (they didn't call it that) made out of a shoe box.

Me and my sister had several Pippa dolls and I remember getting an Abba outfit of white jumpsuit with gold boots from Oobidoo. Remember them? B&M eat your heart out!

I loved Princess Pippa with her sparkly green dress and ankle length hair. I took her everywhere. My mum made her a whole wardrobe of clothes. Happy times.

@mnahmnah - it's a vintage Sindy Leisure
pool - I had it and I wondered from your description if was the same

I had Pippa & a load of her friends. I had a purple carrycase where you put the dolls in one section and a rail and teeny coathangers for their clothes on the other side.

I had a Pippas pony & gymkhana set

Loved Pippa.

Had a Sindy too but was never a fan of Barbie

I had pippa and havoc dolls. Remember the old style Sindys with the arms that bent properly at the elbows with elastic and the bendy legs.

Didn’t have the pools but I did have the boutique. And also a mini van!

My Pippa had a red sports car. This was in 70’s though. I also had a Tressy, who had hair that would ‘grow’ if you pressed a button on her torso.

@missfliss

Of course it’s a leisure pool, not a swimming pool - she couldn’t possibly get her hair wet having a swim

Thanks!

@Ohpulltheotherone

Didn’t have the pools but I did have the boutique. And also a mini van!

I think there were 3 of these. I had this one and a lilac one! (Probably some bits still in my mum's loft)

I also had the giant yellow camper van.

Op I remember that dance cafe! I also had the sindy pop star party house. I am a 90s baby and I used to love them! I particularly like my swimming sindy although I cut her hair off so she had extremely short hair

@QueefofSheena

My Pippa had a red sports car. This was in 70’s though. I also had a Tressy, who had hair that would ‘grow’ if you pressed a button on her torso.

I'd forgotten Tressy! My best friend had Tressy and I kind of accidentally scalped her when we were playing cowboys and indians

I had Sindy and several Pippa dolls but no Barbie. I had Daisy by Mary Quant but she had to make do with Sindy's cast-offs as her own clothes were too expensive for my pocket money budget

Oh my, thanks for the memories op!

I had the sindy pool, also the grey horse and carriage, the horse trailer and various kitchen, bedroom and bathroom bits.

Never the house though. Which was the best Sindy house do you think?

I had the 3 storey townhouse. That was Sindy. I also had furniture for it and the horse. I didn’t have anything Barbie.